Thursday, June 27, 2013

PERFORMING POSSIBILITIES, Conspire Theatre, July 14, 2013

Since 2009, Conspire Theatre has led theatre and creative writing workshops for women incarcerated at the Travis County Correctional Complex in Del Valle. This July marks Conspire’s first project with women in the free world. On Sunday, July 14th, Conspire Theatre will premiere its first ever public performance, Performing Possibilities.

From July 12th through July 14th, Conspire will lead a three-day theatre workshop with women who have been to jail or prison. This will culminate in a public performance and community dinner catered by Bridget Dunlap’s new restaurant Mettle.

Over the final quarter of the 20th century, U.S. criminal justice policies underwent a period of intense politicization and harsh transformation. Draconian sentencing laws and get-tough correctional policies led to an unprecedented increase in jail and prison populations, driving the United States’ rate of incarceration head and shoulders above that of other developed nations[1].The number of women serving sentences of more than a year grew by 757% between 1977 and 2004—nearly twice the 388% increase in the male prison population[2].

Women coming out of jail and prison face stigma that make finding stable housing and employment difficult, but many make huge efforts come back into their communities and make positive change. Join us as women tell their own stories of struggle and triumph, sorrows and joy set against the larger backdrop of incarceration in Texas.

About Conspire Theatre: Founded in 2009, Conspire Theatre offers incarcerated women and their allies a healing and empowering experience through theatre and creative writing. Kat Craft and Michelle Dahlenburg are the co-Artistic Directors. To learn more visit www.conspiretheatre.org or watch a short video about our work at http://www.klru.org/women-and-girls-lead/kat.php.